Narrative a bit disjointed. VERY predictable. More emphasis on romance than "book club. " I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

For the most part, this book is what it comes across as: light, happy reading about a group of women who come together through a book club, with the obligatory romances on the side (not that I'm against that!). It does not get too deep into certain things, but it really does try to explore all aspects of relationships (i.e. what does it mean to be a good friend, good parent, child, or romantic partner), and with that, the book does well. If you have gone through any major life milestones (particularly negative ones), or mid-life or quarter-life crises, there will be something to relate to here. It is fairly predictable, but was still an enjoyable weekend read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This review will be published on GoodReads on March 21, 2024.

This book was a bit difficult to follow. There was a lot of bouncing around and more than 2 POVs can get a bit confusing. The formatting of this ARC also created challenges.

I am a fan of Sheila Roberts’ books. This one was no exception. I enjoyed reading this book. It is a sweet romance, and I loved that she allowed for romance for one of the older characters. This was a great story of friendship and the power of how community can help rebuild lives.

⟼ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'s
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for approving me for this ARC! I'm very grateful for this book and to get the chance to hype it up for others to read! I've enjoyed every minute of reading this book and can't wait to promote the heck out of it before may 7th

┈↠ Pre-Read ↞┈
Karissa Newcomb is making a new life in a new neighborhood after her husband cheated on her with their neighbor and her ex-bestfriend. Karissa moves out of Seattle and to Gig Harbor with her nine year old daughter, and lands a job at a small publishing company! As an avid reader, she is in love with this job and sees this as a fresh page in her book of life.
Her neighbors in Gig Harbor are also dealing with major life changes, Alice is dealing with the death of her husband and the love of her life, while also struggling to get back in the car after a bad accident. Margot is dealing with a divorce and losing her job, all the while she has a nagging mother who wants to make sure her daughter won't be unemployed for long.
Josie, Alice's older sister, is struggling in her relationship with her daughter due to them not seeing eye-to-eye about her husband.
All in all, I set this book on my shelf for too long because I wasn't feeling like a slice-of-life read. I finally started this book, and I couldn't stop turning the page!
I became so immersed in the characters' lives that I felt like I was a part of their group, and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out how their lives turned out
┈↠ Review ↞┈
I got so absorbed in this book and the characters' lives. Sheila Robert does an amazing job of writing real-life scenarios and creating characters that everyone can relate to. I wasn't expecting romance in this book, I was expecting four women making a book club and talking about their problems, but this book was so much more than that. These woman leaned on each other and all grew in their own way, the book takes turns going from each pov. Each unique character offers insights into their lives and their struggles. Alongside this, there is a slight romance, that is realistic, and not overbearing like most romances.
THIS BOOK COMES OUT MAY 7TH!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ IT!!!

I almost always select the books on netgalley that reference book clubs, especially the ones with "book club" in the title. I am disappointed frequently that the story in those books hardly include the book club. I was pleased that this one did! And that the main character was surrounded by the book world as well. Because of this, I had wanted to love this book much more than I did. It is well written and many of the characters were likeable and easy to follow but there were a lot of them! I had a hard time keeping who was with who, who was related to who, who did not like who, etc! I also had a hard time with how the book bounced from one person to the other without any reference. It always took a few seconds for me to figure out in who's head I was reading.

A good clean story with the right ending. It is my first time reading this author and I would read another.
Thanks for the opportunity to discover this new to me author!

3.75 but rounding up to 4.

This was a really sweet, fun read!

The characters were lovable and I felt like they organically found each other. The book club supported each other through it all and I enjoyed watching their relationships grow stronger! Loved that they had a “group project” (no spoilers) that really tied these ladies together by the end.

The ending felt a little rushed, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book!

Would make a great light vacation read. It’s a feel good story about found friendships and sticking close to each other through all of life’s joys and challenges.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for the ARC! Review will be posted to socials closer to pub date.

A book about second chances and starting over. Karissa moves to a new neighborhood and is ready to start a new life after her husband cheated on her with her best friend. She's got a new job as an assistant at a small publishing firm and she has two new neighbors, Alice and Margot. This book follows each of these characters along with Alice's sister Josie through the ups and downs of life. They become friends and start a book club.

I loved all the literary references sprinkled throughout. A book you could curl up with on a rainy afternoon. It was comforting. The points of view switched around a little too often for me. It is also very heavy on dialogue which isn't a favorite of mine. This was just an ok read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. This book had a lot of potential but didn’t do it for me. The quick changing of characters got really confusing to me. But I did like the aspect of the books following along with it.

Four women with different hurdles. A book club and fun references to authors and books. Friendships built and grown. With all of that, I wanted to love this book more than I did. Sadly, the ending seemed rushed and somewhat contrived. Thanks #NetGalley

I was so excited to read this book because I love Sheila Roberts writing and any books about books is my favorite. The Best Life Book Club is a sweet story of three women who come together when one forms a book club. You have the older women, the sweet single mom, and of course there's always that grumpy character that you hope you can break. The woman all lead different lives and come from different backgrounds but books bring them together. I love my book club friends and getting the opportunity to read different genres I wouldn't normally be interested in, and end up loving is a real treat. Anyone in a book club can understand how much female friendships mean and how the love and support cares into your personal lives. This book did a wonderful job of capturing how the love of books brings women together.

Karissa has made a big move with her daughter far away from the disaster she left in Seattle. Her ex-husband cheated on her with her best friend and Karissa wants to make sure she lives far enough away to never run into them. New job, new town, new neighbors, new friends....it's best to look at it as a fresh new start. Karissa quickly makes friends with her neighbors and her daughters friends dad, who also happens to be her new boss! She is excited to be working for a small town publishing company and hoping she can discover new talent but there's too many admissions and not enough people to read them. Karissa decides to start a book club with her new friends and introduce them to some books she loves but the group also decides to write their own novel together. Each woman is dealing with something difficult in their life's and will work through these issues as a group. There will be some tears, some eye opening truths, and a lot of healing along the way.
The book incorporates strong female friendships, independent women, and the power that books have to bring people together

Book clubs are such a great way to connect people. The Best Life Book Club is no exception. When Karissa suffers a devastating divorce, she and her daughter, Maya, move to Gig Harbor. She has found a new job in a small publishing house and meets her new neighbors bit by bit. Alice is always happy to bake cookies; Margot has her own baggage and is unemployed, but a great listener; and then Josie, Alice's sister, joins the book club. Karissa's bosses, Shirley and Edward, have introduced her to a few of their authors - some who need help with their people skills.

As the book progresses, we find out that each of these women (who happen to be diverse ages) are dealing with something in their life that they want to change. As the book goes on, Margot is determined to bring an idea to fruition of an app that she wants to have developed. Karissa decides (with her book club friends) to write a book to take out her anger and frustration with an overbearing author - so she writes a book that will kill her off. Josie and Alice are both widows.

I loved reading this book for all the references throughout of the books they were reading and how the various books (even the fiction ones) influenced them in making important changes, and taking risks, in their lives.

I was given this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sheila Robert’s hit it out of the park with this book. Wonderful heartwarming and heartbreaking read. We follow four women as they come together and form a book club. Two are in their late fifties, sisters and widowed. Two are in their thirties, one recently divorced newly moved to the neighborhood with her young daughter and recently started a new job in a publishing company. The other young woman has been divorced for ten years, recently layed off from her affluent position and is seeking a new job. The ups and the downs of each of their lives are shared as a group and strong bonds of friendship are formed. Wonderful read. I was given and advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

This was the first book about a book club I didn’t want an invite to join. This novel has some very weird conservative Christian undertones. Turn out this is a Christian writer but that should be mentioned on the front. Another thing I hated were these men. Mostly I prefer men written by women. I do not like men written by Sheila Robert’s it turns out. She tried to do it realistic to hopefully not men she knows. So one of the love interest is sexist and the main was a martyr and emotionally unavailable but don’t worry, in this Nice and White love story their love wins. By that it means he decides to date her before going to the therapy he desperately needs. My guess is men Shelia Robert’s knows doesn’t either. I cannot recommend skipping this book enough but maybe you can watch it as a movie staring Candance Cameron instead.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an ARC!

Storywise, I enjoyed the story. It follows 4 ladies who started a book club and you see how each life has their own challenges and and how books influence and inspire their lives. It was a sweet story that didn't run into any major exciting plot points.

The formatting of the copy I read, was not ideal. There wasn't a clear distinction between perspective shifts. Each lady had a chance to give the reader insight into their lives are various points in the book and if there were a clear indicator or page break icon separate it would have been easier to digest. Another common distraction was the use of any words with the letter 'f' it was often spaced oddly.

I really enjoyed this book. Its about women who are going through some tough times and find each other by joining a book club. The story takes you through their ups and downs, and shows you that good friends are always there for you when you need them. Its just a nice feel good story.

Karissa is starting a new life, new neighborhood, new job, new friends, away from,the husband and best friend who cheated on her. She connects with her neighbors starting a book club that is just what all of them need.

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts:
This is a charming, and often funny, PG-rated, character-based love letter to fans of books and reading. I enjoyed getting to know the 4 main characters, Karissa, Margot, Alice, and Josie. They form an unlikely book club when newly divorced Karissa moves to their neighborhood. In time they each find the right book at the right time to help them heal their individual wounds. I was invested in their stories and became hopeful that everyone in the group would be given a happy ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I love books that are based on friendship. I even loved how the ladies formed a book group. It was heartwarming and romantic. The ending was better than I thought it would be. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. It was so delightful and such a great story. It kept me turning the pages! Thank you for the ARC of this book!